No Such Thing
by Julie Frost
Summary: Things happen when cold, unloving Nina Williams comes across the incorrigible playboy, Lee Chaolan. Is it just a fling of the month or could it turn into something more?
1. Lee

**No Such Thing**

_Pairing/s: _Hwoarang/Nina Williams/Lee Chaolan

_Summary:_ Things happen when cold, unloving Nina Williams comes across the incorrigible playboy, Lee Chaolan. Is it just a fling-of-the-month or could it turn into something more?

_A/N: _Before you start reading, I'd like to warn you that this story is different from most Tekken stories here in that mine is more modernized and kind of Americanized. Basically, I think you'd have to be pretty open-minded about Tekken to read this because in ways it could be considered AU, but I hope you'll enjoy it just the same. :) Also, this isn't really a songfic, but I'm following in the footsteps of _Grey's Anatomy_ and making every chapter title the title of a song. I will also put a snippet of the lyrics before each chapter, as a representation of the chapter's theme. So you won't be confused, I will indicate the artist of the song used for a chapter here in the Author's Notes.

This first chapter is, I think, the only chapter where I won't use the song title, because the song I'm using is "Matthew" by Janis Ian, and it doesn't really make sense to use "Matthew" as a title as there is no Matthew in this story. Haha :P

* * *

**Chapter 1: Lee**

_/ What makes a man a man? The cut of a coat, the hint of a tan? It's not who you love, but whether you can -- that makes a man a man. /_

Sunlight poured in through the open window, trapping itself in his silver hair as he slowly opened his eyes. The bedside clock read 10:30AM.

..._Ten thirty? God._ He quickly rolled off the bed and started gathering up his clothes. Soon clad in his boxers, he sat on the edge of the bed to put on his socks. A pair of hands slowly slid around his shoulders and he could feel someone's head rest on his back. "Good morning, baby," came a raspy female voice.

He smiled and kissed her on the forehead. "Hey, you." As soon as she let go of him, he stood up and started pulling his pants on and shrugging into his black shirt, all at record speed.

"Lee, where are you going?"

"Uh, work," he replied, not meeting her gaze.

"But it's Sunday."

_Damn._ "Sweetie, I have a corporation to run. We CEOs work Sundays." Experience was definitely on his side -- he could whip up an excuse in seconds. In reality, he was actually competing in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5...of course, she wouldn't know that.

Disappointed as his brunette lover was, she bought into his explanation. "Well, take care," she sighed, helping him with his necktie. She hurried to the desk beside her bed to get a pen and paper, scribbling something on it and handing it to him. "Here."

He took it and kissed her on the cheek before making his way out. "I'll call you, Trish."

"It's 'Tiffany.'" _Whoops._

She waved a final goodbye as Lee drove away in his red convertible BMW, cranking up the loud rock music. He looked at the paper she gave him: written on it was her phone number followed by "_XOXO, Tiffany."_ Once she was out of sight, he crumpled it up and tossed it out the window.

"Next," he called out into the wind, with an arrogant smirk on his face.

* * *

He eyed his reflection in the tinted windshield of a shop right next to his favorite club. Time had been kind to Lee Chaolan. Not a single wrinkle in sight, and unlike most other fortysomething men, he didn't have the problem of thinning hair to bother him. He didn't look a day over 25. Of course, with a lifestyle like his -- lots of money and lots of women -- that wasn't much of a surprise. 

Lee was VIP pretty much anywhere he went. The bouncer let him in without any trouble, and he could feel all eyes on him as he walked in. He had no need for a pick-up line; "Hi, I'm Lee Chaolan" worked like a charm. Girls threw themselves at this multi-millionaire every night, and he really only needed to pick one or three.

"Hi, Lee, I've been _dying_ to see you!"

"Come over here...let me talk to you real close."

"Ooh, baby, you're looking fine tonight!"

"What say we ditch this place, Lee? I've got champagne and a bubble bath in my hotel room with your name on it."

...And so on. He looked around to choose his latest conquest. A scantily-clad redhead was on the dance floor, beckoning him to join her. A group of Asians no older than 20 were flocking towards him.

Tonight was different, however.

Unlike most days when he would just pick a cute enough girl to go with him, one woman stood out in the crowd tonight. Right across him, seated at the bar wearing a black tank top and denim jeans was the only woman who wasn't looking his way. Ignoring everyone else, he sauntered over to the bar and sat next to her. She had long blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and she resembled a younger and prettier Uma Thurman. There was a zipper in front of her tank top. _Easy access. Fantastic! I'm gonna have a good time tonight._

He studied her as he made his way. Through his many conquests, Lee had developed the skill of reading a woman through her outward appearance. _High ponytail with every strand in place...she's definitely high maintenance. She sits up straight, so she's image conscious, but the well-groomed, arched eyebrows and pursed lips tell me she's a feisty one...ooh, those types are great in bed. She's one of the few not on the dance floor and not with anyone, and it's not because she's drunk. Definitely uptight -- but I love a challenge._

While she never once looked his way, the woman sensed him approaching. She quickly readied herself to tell him to fuck off.

A confident smirk plastered on his face, Lee finally settled into the seat next to her. "Hi there -- "

"I'm busy that night." She refused to meet his gaze.

"But..."

"I have a previous engagement that I'm about to make."

He had never met anyone so unwilling. Truth be told, it unnerved him somewhat. "Uh, haven't we met?"

Annoyed at his persistence, she looked at him, hoping to use body language to drive him away. When she saw what he looked like, though, she was momentarily stunned -- this guy was hot. Intense gray eyes, smooth silver hair, flawless complexion, sexy smile, very muscular body...arms she would love to have wrapped around her. She quickly recovered and returned to her poker face. "Probably not."

Lee was blind to her amazement, fortunately. While he was very close to giving up and going to some other girl, he couldn't ignore the fact that she somehow looked familiar. "I'm sure I've seen you in a previous King of Iron Fist tournament."

"Yeah, sure you have." She nonchalantly began stirring her drink.

"I'm Lee Chaolan."

No response.

"I, uh, I own G Corporation."

"Interesting," she deadpanned.

_Hmm, she's a challenge._ "What's a nice girl like you..."

"...doing in a place like this? God, like that's not the millionth time I've heard that tonight. First of all, I'm not nice. Secondly, to answer your most likely rhetorical question, I like this seedy club and I like the drinks here. And third, cut the crap. I want my cosmopolitan and you want to get in my pants."

"That's not--"

She laughed. "You guys are all the same. I know your MO -- fuck and run, right? In the offhand chance that I might go home with you, we'll just be setting ourselves up for an awkward morning after in which we'll promise to call each other and whatnot, make up some engagement, leave and probably never see each other again."

Lee sat in shock. He hadn't been shot down this badly since...well, since ever. Obviously inexperienced with rejection, he was at a loss on what to say. "Jeez...you sure cut to the chase, don't you?" he laughed nervously.

"Saves time. Guys like you are a dime a dozen -- I've had years of experience."

_Ouch. _Meanwhile, the Asian girls waved at him from the corner. Well, at least he has a fallback plan. "I guess I should be going then, nice to meet you..."

He felt a hand on his forearm as he got up from the bar stool. "Hey, macho man, I didn't say 'no,' did I?"

Lee tried to hide his happiness. _And since when has a girl had the power to toy around with my feelings like this?_ He cleared his throat and put on a poker face. "Uh, guess not, but your body language says 'fuck off.' I didn't exactly fall off the turnip truck yesterday."

"Tell you what. You pay for my drink, drive me back to your pad, and we'll have some fun. You're cute enough."

"Well, thanks," he said, coyly running a hand through his hair. "Uh, I mean, yeah, okay. Fun. Of course. I'd love to..."

"Stop talking. Let's go."

* * *

Lee slowly moved in closer as she downed her champagne. He slid his hands around her waist, lowering his head to her neck. "Lady likes her wine, eh?" 

"Why, yes," she purred, clearly enjoying the feel of his firm, moist lips on the hollow of her neck. "I'd do anything for a Pinot Noir."

"I might happen to have some in the cellar which I could share if..." He found it was hard to keep up with the small talk, as he was slowly getting more and more intoxicated by the heat between them. The smell of her citrusy perfume tangling with the wine they'd both had was sending him into overdrive. "...If you plan to stick around."

She eased him backwards onto the bed and started unbuttoning his lavender silk dress shirt, drawing a gasp from him as she ran a painted fingernail down his muscular chest. He couldn't quite explain it...but there was something oddly exciting about feeling powerless. It was different, that was for sure.

Not that he'd let her take over completely, though. "Hey, hey, where's the fire?" he breathed, grabbing her wrists before she could unbutton any further.

"All in the name of convenience. Now lie back and let me -- "

He sat up, not letting go of her wrists, and before she knew it, he'd maneuvered until she was under him. "Well, we should _both_ enjoy this." He slowly lowered his head to tease the hollow of her neck with his tongue as she pushed his unbuttoned shirt off of him. Lee's large, masterful hands very slowly unzipped her tank top.

"Can't you do it any..."

"I like to take my time. Patience, honey." He unhooked her red lace bra and quickly discarded of it. "These things _always _get in the way..."

"Great way to demonstrate patience," she retorted, but he didn't seem to hear her. He'd stopped whatever it was he was doing and simply stared at her, mesmerized, his steel grey eyes locking with her deep blue ones.

"Wow, honey, you're...you're beautiful."

Lee Chaolan had _never_ said that to any other girl.

"Don't call me honey," she protested as he lowered his head to tease her stomach, his hands traveling further south to unbutton her jeans. "Oh, God, don't stop..."

With one hand, she felt around the dresser and managed to shut off the solitary lamp illuminating the bedroom.

* * *

Tired, sweaty, but feeling incredibly sated, Lee rolled onto his back and turned his head to look at the woman who had just given him the wildest night of his entire life. "Well that was worth taking all your feminist pot-shots for one night." 

"I'm not feminist," she objected, sitting up and turning the lamp back on. "I'm just sick of men like you."

"Aww, that hurts."

She grinned at him. "But, um, wow. You know the female anatomy very, very well."

"Night after night of experience."

"Ugh. Too much information." She pulled her denim jeans back on.

From the bed, Lee watched her as she started to zip up her tank top. "Well, lady, you are definitely something else."

Her blonde hair fell in front of her face as she slid on her boots. "Thanks," she muttered half-sincerely. "I like to think so."

Somehow, this scene felt all too familiar to Lee, only something was different..."Hey, where are you going? It's only 3AM."

"Yeah, I, uh...I should be getting home soon, my roommate might get worried."

"Don't you want to stay and talk awhile?"

"Talk?" she asked, laughing. "I thought this was a no-strings-attached thing."

"Well, yeah, but I think you're fun. I'd really like to spend some more time with you."

"Listen," she sighed, "I think you're fun, too, but seriously, I don't want my roommate -- he's awfully overprotective -- to have a heart attack or anything."

His eyes widened as he sat up. Was she blowing him off? "Well, um, can I call you?"

She was halfway out the door, not bothering to turn back and look at him. "I really have to go. Nice meeting you, Luke."

"It's 'Lee,'" he corrected her, but all he got in reply was the sound of his door swinging shut. Lee fell back onto the bed, covering his face in his hands as he came to the realization that he'd just been..._used_. In one night, this mysterious blonde made him feel the way he'd made thousands of other girls in his past feel.

Normally, he wouldn't care. But she was different...and Lee wanted more.

_It's not a problem. I'm sure she's listed in the phonebook._

With a sudden sense of urgency, he made a dash for the phonebook and opened it, ready to rifle through the pages for her number.

There was one problem, though.

Lee hadn't gotten her name. "Shit."


	2. I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

_A/N: _The title song of this chapter was performed by England Dan and John Ford Coley. Enjoy!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: I'd Really Love to See You Tonight**

_/ I'm not talking about moving in, and I don't wanna change your life, but there's a warm wind blowing the stars around...and I'd really love to see you tonight. /_

The blonde woman had her hands in her pockets as she walked home. Inexplicably, she had a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. And it wasn't guilt -- Nina Williams hardly ever felt guilty about anything. "Oh, whatever," she mumbled to herself, "that guy was a schmuck."

_Well, a really hot schmuck who's fantastic at...stop it, Nina._

She never used to treat men this way, but countless experiences with self-proclaimed players who had that same "love 'em and leave 'em" cycle had left her a bit cold and jaded. It had been only two years since she awakened from cryosleep, but that was enough time for her to learn about the shallow and callous nature of men. _I just beat him to the punch, that's all._

Nina inserted her key in the doorknob, hoping not to wake up her roommate. Everything she said to Man from Bar (Leonard, was it?) about having an overprotective roommate was a flat-out lie. She had a roommate, all right, but he hardly concerned himself with Nina's whereabouts. They shared similar lifestyles, both of which involved a lot of danger and an erratic schedule.

Being an assassin was certainly no walk in the park.

She twisted the doorknob, and to her surprise, he was on the couch, staring blankly at the TV.

"Well, I see someone's had quite a night," he remarked, eyeing her disheveled hair suspiciously.

"Nice to see you too, Raven. What's been keeping you up 'till 4 in the morning? I thought we were training at the gym in three hours."

He blinked slowly, his gaze shifting from Nina's hair to the television screen. Nina Williams was actually the only person to see what was behind the dark shades he always wore, but that was a trust that developed over time. "Sure. Jet lag? I don't know. My body clock's all screwed up."

"Join the club, buddy." She flopped down on the couch next to him. "What the fuck, _Ren and Stimpy_?"

"Hell, Nina, I don't get anything you civilians consider entertainment. I have yet to find a television show that interests me. Howard Stern's a tool, Ren and Stimpy are morons. It's all the same to me. I find Katie Couric very intriguing, though."

"Really?"

"She always has that same expression on her face, show after show. Do you think she could possibly be one of us?"

Nina rested her forehead on her hand and tried unsuccessfully to bite back her laughter. In technical terms, Raven was a human being, with the strength of twenty men, but he had about as much understanding of human emotion as a robot. For someone like him, it was normal and acceptable. Assassins were never supposed to show their emotions. She presumed that years spent in his organization did to him what decades spent frozen in an oversized test tube did to her, only her amnesia didn't erase the concepts of human emotion from her mind. She was familiar with the concepts of happiness ("The ultimate goal"), anger ("Caused by that stupid bitch sister of mine"), love ("Doesn't exist"), pretty much everything on the spectrum of emotion. The only two concepts Raven was familiar with were those of success and failure. The two roommates shared an interesting dynamic: she, the knowledgeable veteran, and he, the skilled and promising professional. They taught each other useful battle moves, and little by little, she tried to teach him about life outside The Organization.

Yet oddly enough, Nina knew that Raven had more of a heart than she did. Recently, he'd taken a peculiar being called Yoshimitsu under his wing and he'd given him lessons on the ways of the ninja. He was definitely open to helping other people. Nina, on the other hand, was admittedly more ruthless and self-centered than she wanted to be.

Post-cryosleep life was hard for Nina, and it was especially difficult to make friends. That was never part of the job description. Nina met Raven near the start of the tournament. He was competing in the match before hers, and she was impressed with his combat style -- a style not uncommon to men in her profession. A few conversations later, she found out that they were both assassins (at least, she used to be one), but competing in the tournament for different reasons. They agreed to split the rent on a cushy condominium unit near the best gym in the city, and they've been friends ever since.

"Well, I'm going to get some shut-eye. Lots of training to do tomorrow. I suggest you do the same...Raven, if there's anything you need to know, it's that _Ren and Stimpy_ isn't going to do much good for you."

"Understood. But what were _you_ doing until the wee hours of the morning?"

"I was, uh, having fun. With a man friend." 'Friend' may have been stretching it a little, but Nina was far too tired to explain the whole concept of sex, let alone one-night stands, to Raven.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do I get the feeling I don't want to know what you're talking about?"

She grinned and patted him on the back. "Raven, my dear, you are a fast learner."

* * *

The gods seemed to be smiling upon Marshall Law, who, thanks to a loan from Lee, now owned a small but successful restaurant in the States. 

Law loved days like this, where he could just chill and talk with his buddies, Lee and Paul, over lunch.

"…And she's like, the hottest one there, light years ahead of the others. Blonde hair, long legs, and a body that could set you on fire from thirty feet away. She was a tough cookie but I managed to crack her," Lee stated proudly. "Man, she is _amazing_. There's this thing she does with my -- "

"Finish that sentence," Paul growled, his mouth half-full of dimsum, "and I will deck you."

"Paul, you would even if I didn't."

"You see her again?" Law prodded.

"I don't think so. She bolted before I could even get her number -- or her name."

"Chicks, man. Always get in the way. You'll never win the tournament with the way you waste your time on them," Paul cautioned, picking up a piece of roast duck with his chopsticks. "Me, I like to wait until after the tournament to find me a nice girl to spend time with in between training sessions."

"So that's two seconds at a time, then?" Lee chuckled, and then sighed sadly once his thoughts returned to the mysterious blonde. "Boy, that woman sure was something."

Law patted his silver-haired friend on the back. "Many fish in sea, my friend."

"I know, I know. But what I wouldn't give to experience last night all over again."

* * *

Nina had no intentions of winning The King of Iron Fist Tournament 5. Her sole purpose in joining was to defeat her sister, Anna, in their ongoing grudge war. 

She and Raven wished each other luck and headed to their respective matches. Waiting in the harsh street arena where dozens of bloodthirsty men looked on, waiting for the next brawl, she wondered to herself who would face her today. Not that it mattered to her, of course. She'd viciously crushed a creepy-looking cyborg, a moving piece of wood ("Oh, wow, you can light up too? Gee, I'm _sooo_ impressed."), and a skinny teenage Asian girl. The sudden silence informed Nina that her opponent had arrived. She looked up, and to her dismay...

...it was the man from two nights ago. So much for dodging him. "Wow, I never thought I'd see _you_ again."

Lee Chaolan had such a practiced smirk that he easily hid the fact that he was grateful to see her again. For a while he thought he never would. He couldn't believe his luck -- right after defeating Kazuya, which was his main reason for competing, he contemplated pulling out of the tournament since he'd accomplished what he sought out to do, but his gut told him to stick around a little longer.

Lee silently thanked his lucky stars that he did.

Unfortunately, Nina wasn't feeling the same. "Uh, good to see you too, Larry."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "It's Lee. Lee Chaolan."

"Mm-hmm."

Someone from the audience was getting impatient. "Quit the flirting and fight, prettyboy!"

She laughed and looked from the guy back to Mr. One-Night-Stand. The sooner she got rid of this moron, the better. "He's right, you know."

"Hey, listen, before we start, what say we have ourselves a little deal?"

_I don't like the sound of this._ "What kind of deal?"

"If I win, you'll give me your number -- _and name_ -- and have dinner with me."

"And if you lose?"

"I'm as good as gone." He extended his hand. She shook it.

They both moved to a proper distance and assumed their fighting stances. "Sure you don't want to quit now?" he taunted. "I don't want to see you get hurt, babe."

_Oh, you have nothing to worry about._

As soon as the match started, Nina knocked the wind right out of Lee hard punch in the gut. In a matter of minutes, she completely floored him and scored the knockout victory. She bent over an aching Lee who was lying belly-up on the concrete. "Rule Number 1: Never underestimate your opponent."

"Yeah, yeah," he grunted. "You just caught me off-guard. You better get a Sharpie ready, honey, because I'll be getting your number in no time."

She rolled her eyes at his persistence. As far as men were concerned, "no" meant "try again later." The second match was hardly any different from the first one. Nina tried out the new moves Raven had taught her and found success in them; she made a mental note to thank him later. She had her hand gripping his throat as he was backed up against the wall. "Rule Number 2," she hissed. "Don't call me 'honey.'" And with that, she hurled him across the arena, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers.

"Damn girl, you a tough bitch!"

"Y'all kicked that boy's pansy ass real good!"

She took a moment to bask in the glory. "Thank you, thank you!"

On the other end of the arena, Lee was slowly attempting to stand up, obviously more than a little embarrassed at his loss. Feeling a tiny hint of sympathy, Nina walked over to help him up. She was relieved to find out that the only damage done was a small bruise on his shoulder and a cut lip.

"I guess this is goodbye," he mumbled before turning to walk away. "Nice knowing you."

"Wait..."

He stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"

She couldn't believe she was about to say it. (Sympathy wasn't really in her system.) "Uh, would you like to walk me back to my place? It's not that far from here."

"Well, sure."

They smiled at each other, and he slid his arm around her waist as they walked away from the arena, with only the moon to light their way. "By the way, my name is Nina. Nina Williams."


	3. Forever Young

_A/N:_ "Forever Young" was written and performed by Janis Ian.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Forever Young**

_/ Her memory haunts his heart. Her body burned its mark. Her soul has flown from his embrace, no more to tear the dark. /_

Lee was thankful that it was a chilly day, since that gave him more of an excuse to pull her closer to him. A little apprehensive at first, Nina relented. It was nice to actually walk with someone for a change, and no, ten-meter trips to the gym with Raven didn't count.

"I really am glad to see you again, Nina."

"For a playboy, you're awfully clingy," she remarked, glancing sideways.

Warning bells went off in his head. He instantly let go of her, folding his arms defensively. "I am not! I just happen to like you, that's all."

"Relax, I didn't mean that in a literal sense."

His arm found its way back around her waist. "I knew that," he huffed. Lee silently reminded himself that he shouldn't pour out all his feelings at once. _Things will never go well for me if the ball's in her court. If this progresses, I may become the textbook definition of "pussy-whipped," and ugh, I can NOT let that happen to me. Again._

Silence passed between them until Nina finally spoke. "Listen, Lee -- "

He grinned. "Wow, you actually got my name right this time."

"I'm sorry I bailed out on you last night. I just suspected that you might've been, well, insincere."

"I usually am," he half-joked. "I don't blame you for thinking that." They walked in silence before Lee started on small talk. "So how old are you?"

"About twenty years younger than you, that's for sure," she laughed. In her head, however, Lee just looked like a thirty-year-old with silver hair. Whatever age he was, he looked pretty darn sexy.

"Seriously? I'm sure I've seen you a long time ago...although I must admit, your looks haven't changed much."

Nina shivered at the memory of being frozen in an oversized test tube, not to mention the side effect of total amnesia. Memories were starting to come back to her little by little, but she still wished that it had never happened. "Err, it's a long story."

"Plastic surgery?"

She glared at him, clearly insulted. "What? No!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything...it's just that you look exactly the same as you did several years ago."

"How do you even remember?"

He chuckled at the memory. "I thought you were stunning, and I wanted to talk to you, but some black-haired woman led me away before I had the chance."

Nina cringed. _Damn that Anna. _"I don't think I want to hear the rest of it, Lee."

"Care to suggest another topic?"

"Hmm," she mused, rubbing her bare arms to warm herself against the chilly night wind. "Why were you competing in the tournament?"

He took off his coat and put it on her. "Ah, some prick was messing with my stock. I took care of it, though. Had to take back what was mine. And you?"

"I plan to exact my revenge on that black-haired woman who led you away from me."

Lee grinned ear to ear. "Gee, I didn't know you dug me _that_ much."

"Oh, absolutely," she deadpanned. "Seriously though, she's my sister, and we're kind of at each other's throats right now about personal matters."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not right now." She glumly looked on at the brown leaves flying in the wind before them, and at the stars gleaming ahead. Nina was definitely not in the mood to discuss her father's tragic murder with someone she'd only known two days.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, you gonna tell me why you look exactly the same as you did about twenty years ago?"

"Let's put it this way: technically, you and I are only a few years apart, but if you consider the circumstances, I'm twenty years younger than I should be. And so is my sister."

In a weird way, that seemed to make sense to Lee. "Uh...would you happen to have been cryogenically frozen, by any chance?"

Nina stopped in her tracks. "How did you know?"

"My stepfather, Heihachi...he likes to dabble in silly experiments. Listen, I don't even really talk to him anymore, so let's just drop the sub -- "

"Hey, we're already here," she interrupted, looking up at a large white building. Since she didn't want to discuss or even remember Heihachi Mishima either, she feigned not paying attention to the last sentence.

They shared an awkward ride up the elevator, before making it to the level of her apartment. "Are you sure you don't want to give me your number? I'm still interested in taking you out, you know."

She looked down at the floor, blushing for the first time in a very long time. "Well, I'm flattered, but I don't think it will last, Lee. You and I...we're not that kind of people."

He opened his mouth to protest, but realized that she was right. Neither one of them wanted commitment or baggage. But true as that was, he hated that this was the last time he would see her.

"So I guess this is goodbye, then?" Nina started fiddling with her keys.

"Yeah. Be seeing you." He silently hoped that he would find someone really, _really_ pretty in the club that night.

Instead of walking away though, he cupped her delicate, oval face in his hands, stared deeply into her blue eyes, and kissed her. It was different from the first time they did. When in their first kiss there was an emotional disconnect between them, this time Lee kissed her with a strong sense of desperation.

Nina pulled back, looking at him with shock. She broke away from his intense stare, turned the key and opened the door.

His face reddened. "I'm really sorry..."

But she didn't say anything. Instead, she took him by the wrist and pulled him into the apartment before closing the door behind them.

* * *

_Thank God I don't have any match scheduled for tomorrow. _It was barely dusk when they arrived at her place, and way past ten when they were through. Lee was fast asleep on the soft white bed, completely exhausted. While she was tempted to just roll over and go to sleep herself, Nina reluctantly got up and shrugged on an oversized T-shirt, exiting the room to see if Raven had returned. 

The whole place was dead quiet. Her roommate arrived home at odd hours, so she decided that she shouldn't worry. She poured herself a glass of water and brought it with her to the bathroom, brushed her teeth and washed her face.

Lee was still asleep, a white blanket covering him from the waist down, when Nina returned to the bedroom. The dim white light coming from the open doorway softly outlined his muscles and illuminated his face, half-covered by his feathery hair. He looked nearly angelic in that light, but Nina knew he was more devil than angel. Wondering how she how she would kick him out of the apartment before Raven arrived, she leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. Strangely, she couldn't help but smile. _He looks so cute when he's asleep._

She spent minutes just watching him and pondering her situation before his eyes fluttered open. He smiled sleepily at her. "Hey."

She decided to take the straightforward approach. "Hey," she returned, smiling. "Get out."

"Can't I just crash here? I'm crazy tired." He looked pleadingly at her with puppydog eyes.

Nina hated that he was so charming -- she'd easily have thrown him out of the apartment otherwise. Instead, she locked the door behind her. "Okay, fine. Just stay on your side of the bed. I don't like to cuddle."

"You are every guy's dream girl," he chuckled as she approached. Once on the bed, she faced the side opposite him and closed her eyes, slapping away his creeping hand before quickly falling asleep herself.

* * *

Nina Williams had always been an early riser. 

Looking to her left, she noticed that apparently, Lee was an even earlier riser, because he wasn't there. She buried her face in the pillow. "How typical," she muttered. All this time, he'd just chased her to get her back for ditching him the other night. _Fucking pig. This is EXACTLY why I don't do dates._

The sound of a familiar, deep voice resonated from the doorway. "Jesus, I get back at 3AM and I _still_ wake up earlier than you. Rise and shine, roomie, we're training today."

"Mmph."

"By the way, I found this on the TV. I think it's for you."

Nina felt a piece of paper being pressed into her hand. "What the..." She rolled over and blinked open an eye to unfold and read it: _Call me...pretty please:)_ Below it was what she supposed was Lee's number. "...Oh."

Would she call him? She was still unwilling to get into a relationship requiring commitment with anyone, that was a given. _But those nights with Lee were simply mind-blowing! And in addition, he's super hot._ She would love to have all the fun without the chains of commitment, and baggage, and emotional investment, and anniversaries, and invasions of privacy, and awkward mornings after. Who needed that?

_A-ha! _In a flash, Nina conjured up the perfect way to have her cake and eat it too. She smiled at the piece of paper in her hand. Yes, she would definitely call him.

Raven eyed her curiously. "Friend of yours?"

"You can say that."

* * *

_A/N:_ Okay, I still have a few extra chapters ready for uploading, but I've kind of hit writer's block _-sniffle-_ so all storyline suggestions are welcome. One-shot requests are welcome, too!

Much loveto all the reviewers -- Aki Ronin, Maidengirl, Scarlet-Child, and Robot Dog. I'm still writing this thanks to you guys!


	4. I'm Not in Love

**Chapter 4: I'm Not in Love**

_/ I like to see you, but then again, that doesn't mean you mean that much to me. So if I call you, don't make a fuss. Don't tell your friends about the two of us. /_

Nina could feel the blood boil beneath her skin as she watched her opponent strut towards the garden where they would battle.

"This time, I'm going to finish you off for good," she hissed, only to get a chilling cackle in reply.

Her hatred towards her sister Anna wasn't completely unjustified. It wasn't nice to come home and have your sister immediately open fire on you. She was regaining her memory ever so slowly, but all she knew was that there was a lifetime of bad blood between them. Once she won this, hopefully Nina would be able to put the past behind her.

"Bitch!" Anna yelled, and charged towards her, effectively tackling Nina to the ground. She could feel a throbbing pain at the back of her head as the scent of dew-coated grass filled her nostrils. Squinting at the sunlight, she saw her sister standing before her with a horrible smirk on her face, angering Nina enough to sweep her legs in order to trip her younger sister.

The fight got ugly at that point, with Nina attempting to strangle her sister and Anna pulling her hair. The blonde Williams punched Anna right in the face, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she continued to rain fist after fist down at her sister. She was blinded by hate. A still-frame of her father's murder scene flashed through her mind as she delivered a swift, hard kick to the gut that rendered Anna unconscious.

Nina had won. But she didn't feel any better. To escape the sudden feeling of guilt, she turned around and walked away, her hands suddenly chilly. She looked down, and to her horror, she saw Anna's blood on her knuckles.

A rustling sound reached her ears, and she whipped around to avoid a cheap-shot from Anna, only to see that she was just struggling to get up. After a moment's hesitation, Nina wiped the blood onto her wifebeater and approached, slowly holding out her hand, still unsure of her sudden bouts of sympathy. It was so unlike her. But would my father approve of all this fighting?

Her raven-haired sister looked up, blood streaming from her forehead. She laughed bitterly. "Don't make this a fucking pity party, Nina."

"I'm not."

"Well, what," she sniffed, "you can grow a heart on command?"

"Quit yapping before I change my mind and kick your ass some more."

Anna gave her sister a half-smile as she took her hand. "Now, that's the Nina I know."

They walked side by side away from the garden, Nina looking elsewhere with her arms folded across her chest. "Look," she huffed, "I'm not going to burst into tears and embrace you or anything."

"I figured that much."

"I don't plan on rehashing the past, either."

"Yeah, I know." The younger sister looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her. "Damn, I'm starving."

"Uh, wanna order Chinese at my place?"

Anna grinned. "Well, sure...sis."

"Don't push your luck."

* * *

The TV glare was the only thing illuminating the room as the two sisters sat cross-legged on the couch, enjoying boxes upon boxes of noodles and dimsum. After twenty minutes of awkward silence, Nina spoke up. "Er...how's life?" 

"Okay, I guess."

"What do you do?"

"Um, nothing much. Sleep. Eat. Fight. Freeload," she said, happily holding up her box of chow mein. "I mooch off of my multiple boyfriends, usually."

"Gross." Nina popped a piece of siu mai into her mouth. "You could get a job, you know."

"Well, you're one to talk. Resting on your laurels, dear?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." With skill like hers, Nina made a pretty large sum of money. Starting a new career was still an option, sure, but she would take a well-deserved break for now.

Just that moment, the door opened and in walked Raven. He stopped dead in his tracks as soon as his eyes fell on Nina's gorgeous companion.

"Hey, Raven," Nina called out, not taking her eyes off the TV. "This is Anna, my sister. Anna, this is my roommate, Raven."

He blinked, clearly shocked. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"Why am I not surprised?" Anna laughed. "Hey there," she greeted, flipping her silky black hair to look his way and flash him a smile. "Like she said, I'm her previously nonexistent sibling."

"Hello," Raven replied dazedly, before heading on to his bedroom.

Despite her amnesia, Nina recognized the predatory grin on Anna's face. "Oh, no. No."

"How come you didn't tell me you had such a hot roommate?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's not that hot."

"Yes he is!" Anna protested. "Me likey!"

"Don't touch him, he's my roommate."

The younger sister pouted. "But I -- "

"Don't give me a reason to bust your lip wide open again," Nina interrupted. "He pays half my rent, which is more than I can say for you."

"Fine. Boo."

"Speaking of rent...well, we have an extra room, so I guess you could stay here until we find you a job. No mooching, though -- once you start working, we're splitting the rent three ways."

Anna perked up at this. She spread her arms wide and smiled at her sister.

"Do me a favor, and don't."

"Okay, okay," Anna laughed. "But, thanks."

* * *

The raven-haired Williams sister burst into the living room. "Ta-daaa! What do you think?" 

Nina nodded. "Professional enough."

"After twenty different outfits, it better be!"

Their exchange was interrupted by a knock on the door. "I'll get it!" Anna offered, gliding across the room to open the door. "My, my, aren't you a little too hot for Starbucks?"

"Who is that?"

"There's a super hot and unusually well-dressed delivery boy with coffee and doughnuts for you!"

She followed her sister to the door. "I didn't order any..."

And there he was. Hair smoothly hanging over his forehead in just the right way, gorgeous gray eyes, a white translucent polo that hardly hid the outline of his muscular body. Anna gazed on in admiration, Nina eyed him with disinterest. "Hi, Lee."

"I brought breakfast," he said with a grin.

"I didn't call you. And we're busy."

"No," Anna interrupted, caressing his forearm. "You can stay, sweetie. And how do you know my sister?"

"He's just a friend, Anna," she sighed. Though he tried to hide it, Lee couldn't help looking a little hurt.

Anna looked from one to the other, raising an eyebrow. She was convinced of the opposite, but she didn't say anything, because she knew that she had to pick her battles when it came to Nina. "Well, I have a job interview at 10am, so let's not waste any time!"

She grabbed the box of doughnuts and scurried ahead, leaving Nina and Lee at the door.

"Oh, she's just charming."

"You think?"

"Hmm. So can I tag along?"

"I suppose," she relented. "You drive." She took a coffee cup from his hand and strode ahead, as Lee chuckled and followed her.

* * *

"We were constantly fighting over Dad. When he died, we blamed each other for it, but I guess we've both finally decided to just grow up and move on." 

They were both seated atop a mocha-colored brick wall no more than three feet high. Nina was silent for a moment, amazed that she managed to remember. She took Lee's hand in both of hers, studying it. "Big hands," she mused. "Just like Dad's."

He wrapped it around hers, lifting it to his face and softly kissing it before working his way up, leaving a trail of kisses on her arm. She had half a mind to slap him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She let out a short giggle. He inched his face closer and closer to hers. She knew she shouldn't -- it was wrong, it wasn't the way she'd planned things in her head. But he was Lee, constantly breaking every one of the rules of her organized, almost clinical, life.

But just as she was about to cave into him once more, the door of the building in front of them burst open and out walked her sister, who grinned wolfishly at what she saw.

"Your 'friend,' eh Nina?"

"Yes," she replied coldly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "How did the interview go?"

"Uh...it didn't." Anna twiddled her thumbs and looked elsewhere, to Nina's dismay.

"Nooo," she groaned, "you hit on the interviewer again? That's the third one today! Let me guess -- he's married too?"

She nodded sadly. "But he was reeeeally cute, Nina, you should have seen him!"

Nina rolled her eyes. "Let's just go home. I've had quite enough for one day."

Lee and Nina walked at a distance behind Anna towards the car. "A 'friend', Nina?" Lee prodded. "Are you ashamed of me? Am I too old-looking for you?"

"No, Lee, but we aren't really, officially...together. You understand that, don't you?"

He hunched his shoulders sadly. "I guess."

* * *

Eager at the chance to spend time with Raven, Anna tagged along with her two new roommates to the gym. 

"Bon soir, my beeeyootiful!" a tan, muscular man greeted Nina as she walked in. "Raven, my my, trés sexy! And who is zis lovely mademoiselle?"

"This is my sister, Anna --"

"Yes, she really does have a sister," Anna interrupted, shooting a glare at Nina.

"Anna, this is Jacques, owner of the gym," Nina said, motioning to the man in front of them. "Don't even think about it, sis -- he's gay," she hissed into her sister's ear once Jacques's back was turned.

"Come, come, mon cherie!" He quickly approached Anna and took her by the arm. "I talk to you."

It wasn't until about half an hour later when Nina finally saw her sister again. As she pedaled on the stationary bike, Anna approached her with a giddy smile on her face.

"I got a job!"

Nina stopped pedaling and stared wide-eyed at her sister. "What?"

"I really did! Jacques hired me to model for their upcoming advertisements!"

"That's great," Nina laughed, but Anna was already on her way to the treadmills to chat with Raven. Figuring they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon, she decided to head back on her own. On her way back, however, she noticed the motel at the end of their street, and walked towards that instead. She dialed Lee's number on her cellphone.

_"Hello?"_

"It's Nina. We're either going to do things my way, or not at all. You still want to see me again?"

_"Of course I do."_

"Be..._with _me?" she asked in a tone far removed from innocent.

She heard shifting on the other end of the line. _"Yes," _he replied shakily.

She plopped down a fifty-dollar bill on the reception desk. "Here's how our little arrangement is going to work," she explained as she took the key and walked towards the elevator. "You are not my boyfriend."

_"You're ditching me?"_

"Not unless you want me to. Anyway, I will still allow you to be within a ten-meter radius of me, but only for sex. No hand-holding, googly eyes and hugging bullshit. Just raw, satisfying sex. There will be no cuddling afterwards or sleeping in. I will allow you to take me out to dinner, but only on days when I don't feel like paying for a meal. Outside of that, we are just friends." She slipped out of her rubber shoes and removed her socks.

_"Are we exclusive?"_

"Not really, but at least this way you won't have to visit that seedy club to find some poor girl. So are you in?"

_"You leave me no choice," _he replied, but by the tone of his voice she could tell he was smiling.

"Good. I'm in the motel a few blocks away from my apartment. Room 314. And I want you here, stat. And Lee?"

_"Yes?"_

"I'm naked."

_"I'm there." _Lee immediately put down the phone and hurried to get to the motel. Yes, she definitely had him eating out of the palm of her hand.

* * *

_A/N:_ The featured song is performed by **10cc**. Are you guys interested in seeing Anna/Raven? It could go either way, really, but if you don't like it, that's cool :) 


	5. The Fear You Won't Fall

_A/N:_ The theme song for this chapter is by Joshua Radin, and it is the perfect mood music to use while reading this. If you can obtain it, then by all means, DO! LOL. And if you can't find it, "Always & Never" by Coheed & Cambria is also a good song, and so are "Seven Veils" and "Forget Me Not" by Lucie Silvas.

Now, about this chapter: not much happens here, but this is, IMO, the most dramatic and serious chapter in the story. I hope you don't mind, LOL :)

* * *

**Chapter 5: The Fear You Won't Fall**

_/ I know you're scared, but I'll soon be over it. That's part of it all. Part of the beauty of falling in love with you...is the fear you won't fall. /_

She didn't know he did it.

She never did. And he would never let her.

He did it every night.

It was one in the morning, and she was asleep. His head was propped up on one arm as he faced her. He studied her sleeping form under the dim light of the bedside lamp: her golden hair, fanned out on the pillow, was akin to an angel's, but her eyes had the naughty gleam of a little devil. Her very image was imprinted in his memory, but he treasured these moments where he could just...look at her. He noticed everything, like how the maroon blanket outlined her soft, feminine curves. How wonderfully her moist, cherry red lips glistened under light, and how they felt against his. Her smooth, delicate hands, and how they felt on his body.

He was weak against her, but of course, she shouldn't know that. He knew she was just using him for the time being, but he would do all he could to keep her around. Slowly, he began tracing the outline of her jaw with his finger, but instantly pulled his hand away once she began to stir.

He was a mess. He hated that for once in his life, he felt so powerless against a woman, and yet he loved being around her. As much as he hated to admit it, he was falling in love with Nina.

And the worst part of all was that he knew, they both knew, that it wouldn't last. He knew that she would not be around when he woke up; she never was. One day, she would lose interest in him, make a clean break and move on, and he would be forced to content himself with his old lifestyle of having a different girl every night. But Lee would never be content, because none of those girls were Nina Williams.

* * *

She got up at around five in the morning, hurriedly putting on her clothes as she got ready to leave. Before she did, though, she couldn't help but look at him, so peaceful on the bed. One day, she would have to leave him for good. He would tire of her, she was just another girl to him. Though he didn't know it, she dreaded the day when she would have to leave him.

As far as playboys went, Lee sure was a sweetheart. He would bring her breakfast, drive her wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted, give her gifts every now and then, and call her every day. And he was a really good kisser.

No---she couldn't allow herself to fall in love with him. Falling in love was against the rules.

She sighed, pulling on her jacket, and quietly kissed his cheek before finally leaving.

_Why do you make it so hard for me to hate you?_

* * *

The two of them had been talking through the night, and the clock now read 6am. He held her hands in his as they shared a quiet moment. She'd just poured out her history, her baggage to a man she's known for only about a week, but she felt like she could share anything with him. Some men would pretend to listen until the point where they get to make out with her. Others would judge her without being asked to. He, however, really listened to her, and that made her trust him more. She tucked a loose strand of silky black hair behind her ear and smiled at him.

"Get your hands off my roommate!" a voice yelled from behind them. Yes, Nina had returned.

He let go of her hands. "Sorry," they both mumbled at the same time.

"Which one of us were you talking about?" he asked.

"Never mind," Nina sighed, rolling her eyes as she headed towards her bedroom.

Once she was gone, their eyes rested upon each other. He looked at her soft, pink lips, then into her turquoise eyes. He leaned in, closing his eyes. She leaned in. Part of her wanted to forget everything else; all she had was here, and him, and now. Their lips were millimeters apart.

But then, she pulled away. "I can't. My sister means too much to me. I need to earn her trust first."

She expected him to be angry with her, but instead, he simply nodded. "Yes, you do."

They got up. She headed towards her bedroom, but looked back midway and gave him a smile. He smiled back. Another day, things would work out.

* * *

"My sister just can't get her hands off of him!"

_"Why don't you just...let her have him?"_

"Are you crazy? I know she's my sister, but if she breaks his heart there will be hell to pay. Raven is really naive to the whole process, and I don't want him to get hurt."

_"You can't stop love, honey. It just sneaks up behind you and takes you captive. Do you really want to be the one to break them apart? Because rest assured, he will be miserable."_

Little did Nina know that he wasn't even talking about Raven and Anna that time.

_"Just let him love her, Nina."_

"An ugly ending is inevitable, I can see it coming. I'm just trying to protect him -- she's not the type who sticks around for long."

_"Don't we know it,"_ Lee laughed. _"Well, I think he's more than you give him credit for. You should learn to trust him."_

"I guess I should...maybe I'm just being overprotective."

_"Anyway, I miss you, Nina."_

"But it's only been six hours," she giggled.

_"I just can't get enough of you. I want you to be with me all the time."_

"And I'm like, what, the hundredth girl you've told that to?"

He merely laughed in reply, but in truth she was the only girl he ever told that to.

"You know we're not going to last, right?"

_"Yes,"_ he sighed.

"You'll miss your old ways. I'll get old and fat and wrinkled and you won't want me anymore; you'll invariably want someone younger, Lee, and I can't stop you."

_"I think you're wrong."_

"I know I'm right. Men like you are all the same."

_"Oh, so you're judging me now?"_

"I have since day one, baby," she laughed into the phone. "What the hell made you like this, anyway? Did some chick break your heart back in high school?"

_"Nope."_ He'd never told anyone what he was about to tell her, but he didn't keep any secrets from her. He didn't feel the need to. _"It was...my father. My real one, I mean. We grew up poor, and it was just him and I because my mother left him for another man. Right before he died, Dad told me to focus on success, and success only. He said that women are just a distraction."_

"Oh. So that's what women are to you, Lee? Distractions?"

_"Yes."_

"I guess that's going to make me another statistic, then."

_"You know, I hate to quote that gay Brokeback movie, but Nina...I don't know how to quit you."_

* * *

Through the open window of her SUV, the wind blew at her long blonde tresses. Her shades blocked out the bright sunlight. She had a smile on her face, and she was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of a Jack Johnson song.

Yes, life was good for Nina Williams. She'd devised the perfect way to have her cake and eat it too. And if Lee wanted to send her gifts? She wouldn't stop him, it was his choice. If he wanted to call her up just to talk? She wouldn't turn him away; after all, she was beginning to enjoy their daily five-hour conversations.

He was not her boyfriend, he was her fuck buddy, and she liked it that way.

She parked in front of the dojo and stepped out. Indeed, she didn't plan on winning the tournament itself, but she'd decided that she could use the extra training from the following matches. Should she ever face Raven, she would forfeit instead, because she knew that he had more noble reasons for entering the tournament.

Crouching down, she rummaged through her bag for a water bottle when a shadow moved over her. She looked up.

There was a young man of about twenty-one standing in front of her, the noonday sunlight illuminating the ends of his long, flame-red hair and outlining his figure. He had a charming smile, one that could melt you if you stared too long.

"Can I help you?" she asked warily.

He extended his hand down to her. "Hey, I'm Hwoarang."

"And so?"

"Well, I watch the other matches and I've seen you around. Great moves."

She took his hand and got up. "Thanks. See you around!"

"Wait!"

He watched her blonde hair glisten in the sun as she stopped without so much as turning around to face him. "Yeah?"

"Look, that's not really why I approached you." He scratched the back of his neck and looked down at the floor. "It's just that I...think you're very beautiful...and I...aw, heck, I don't usually get tongue-tied like this..."

She slowly turned around to catch him...blushing? Normally, she would have cut him off like she did with Lee the first time they met, but today she kept quiet. This boy was different from all the others. He was shy. Sweet.

"Anyway, if it won't bother you too much, it would mean the world to me if you'll let me take you out," he gushed, smiling coyly. "We can go have lunch after my next match, if you're free."

"Who's your opponent?"

He quickly rifled through the pockets of his jacket for a slip of paper. "Uh," he stammered, unfolding it. "Nina Williams. Yeah, I'll beat her and then take you out for a victory lunch!"

"Well, you can," she laughed. "But I'm Nina Williams, honey."

His face fell, and Nina could practically feel her heart sink upon seeing him like that. "Oh, you know what? I'll just forfeit, and then we can head out for lunch. How's that sound?"

"Aww, no, I couldn't make you do that."

"It's alright," she assured him with a smile. "I was just sticking around for fun anyway. Let's go!" _Hell, Lee and I are non-exclusive. He won't mind._

Yes, Hwoarang was the perfect way to make her forget all about silly, shallow Lee.


	6. I Can't Make You Love Me

**Chapter 6: I Can't Make You Love Me**

_// I'll close my eyes, and then I won't see the love you don't feel when you're holding me. Morning will come, and I'll do what's right. Just give me 'till then to give up this fight. And I will give up this fight... //_

The air is filled with the sound of clinking glass and random chatter. Candlelight emanating from the middle of the table bounces off her blonde hair. She smiles as he touches her hand. She's thinking that with enough time, she might actually be able to convince herself that he is someone she could commit to. Truly, she had no reason not to -- he was cute, fun, sweet, caring, funny, and above all, monogamous. They had chemistry.

He cracks a joke. Half-listening, she fakes a laugh in response.

"Your hand...it's cold," Hwoarang notes. "Are you nervous?"

"No," she lies. She is nervous, but not because of this date, their third date. Her hands are chilly because she's thinking of how she would end things with Lee.

_But what is there to end?_ She asks herself. _We had nothing to begin with. No commitment, none at all._

Through various parts of their conversation, quick still-frames flash through Nina's mind. Her hand on Lee's bare thigh. Him, smiling at her as she opens the door. The two of them, tangled together beneath the silk sheets. The way her hand fit in his in just the right way.

When this happened, she blinked, silently repeating to herself that Lee is nothing. Although beyond that shallow voice in her brain is a deeper thought -- there, she knows that no other man can ever take his place.

She gingerly takes a sip of her drink and continues the conversation.

* * *

A muscle in his arm almost involuntarily twitched as he caught sight of her. He shifted on the sofa uneasily, and refocused his attention on the television. Two weeks. They'd lived together two weeks, and for him, it was bliss, and agony, and bliss, and agony. Bliss when they were together, agony because he could not resist her and yet he had to, so as not to taint his friendship with her sister. He tried to ignore the feelings, but this task proved difficult, especially when Anna was walking around the house in very short denim cutoffs and a light blue tank top. 

Then, from the kitchen, she calls his name. He walks slowly toward the counter where she's standing, and once there, she asks him to help her with dinner.

Beads of sweat are forming on her forehead -- even at night, the kitchen is quite humid. Raven feels her very close to him, watching him as he works at chopping the ingredients. Slowly, his eyes shift to meet hers, and he cannot look away. They pass quite some time just looking at each other, before she angles her head and closes her lips on his. The slow, innocent kisses turn more passionate and urgent; she slides her hands up his back and pulls his wifebeater off, tossing it aside.

He stops. "Wh-what about Nina?"

"She can't change the way I feel about you," she breathes, and starts kissing his neck.

Before they know it, they're stumbling their way to her bedroom. The door slams shut.

* * *

The driver clears his throat as the vehicle comes to a halt. They break their kiss, and Nina giggles as she slides towards the car door and adjusts the strap of her dress. He gets out and opens it for her, brushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face as he whispers "Good night." 

On the elevator ride up, she identifies her current emotion as somewhere between happy and conflicted, and chooses to ignore the latter.

As she opens the door, the incessant chattering of a perky TV host fills the atmosphere. The room is lit only by the flickers of the TV screen. Anna, at that point, emerges from her room groggily, donning only a tank top and panties. Her eyes widen a bit as she sees who is standing in the middle of the living room. Nina squints at her.

"What?" Anna barks, a little too defensively.

A glimpse at the kitchen, and the blonde sees half-chopped leeks on the counter, as well as a wifebeater on the floor. Before Anna can stop her, she pushes open the door to her bedroom and finds Raven asleep on one side of the bed. She turns around to face her sister, now several shades paler.

"I..."

"Don't bother," is Nina's reply, as she calmly strides towards her own bedroom and closes the door. Today has been a long day.

And it doesn't really get any better the day after.

* * *

The sun was casting light yellow rays all over as Lee relaxed by his pool, sipping on a pina colada. His butler approached to tell him that he had a blonde, female visitor. Without hesitation, he wrapped a towel around himself and headed to the front door. 

He gave her an easygoing smile. "Hey, Nina."

She drank in the sight of him: wet hair, skin moist and glistening, a strong and sinewy neck, muscles rippling throughout his body, clad in little more than a pair of wonderfully snug swimming trunks. Something she'd definitely miss. "Uh...we need to talk."

Soon they were both in the gigantic living room, Nina nervously crossing and uncrossing her legs. She was fidgety. This was not good.

"What's wrong?"

"Remember our agreement," she said, "that once we tire of each other or meet other people, we would call this whole arrangement off?"

He could feel his heartbeat increasing. "Yes, I remember."

"Well..." She tried to convey her message through one look and a raise of the eyebrows.

"I'm not sleeping with anybody else, if that's what you're asking."

"No, Lee, I...I'm...it's me..." She looked down at her hands. "I'm seeing someone else."

His expression fell. "Does this mean...?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Lee."

"Hey, that's great," he managed to reply. He squared his shoulders and forced a smile. "I'm really happy for you."

She perked up. "Really? Thanks, I didn't think you'd take it too well."

"Phfft, me? Of course not. This had to end sometime, might as well be now. It doesn't really matter to me, either way." _You'll be fine, Lee. Just go back to the club and find another hot woman. Easy as pie._

"Well, okay then. He's a great guy, you know. Nice, sweet, sensitive -- "

_Dude must be gay._ "Cool, Nina." He was a little too hasty in showing her the door. "Let me know how it all turns out. See you around!"

"I hope we're still friends..."

"Yeah. Bye!"

As the door closed behind her, Nina tugged at the sleeves of her leather jacket. "Well, that went well," she said to herself. She couldn't help feeling a little sad, though. _I guess I meant less to him than I thought I did._

Squaring her shoulders, she looked at Lee's mansion for the last time before flipping her blonde hair and walking away, comforting herself with the fact that she had dear, sweet Hwoarang waiting for her back home. As far as Nina Williams was concerned, meaningless, casual sex was a thing of the past.

Lee watched her walk away from his home, and in essence, his life. The smile he'd been faking instantly vanished.

"Are you okay, Sir?" his butler asked.

"I'll be fine, Edward." He broke his gaze from Nina's retreating form. "I'll be just fine."


	7. Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have

_A/N:_ Sorry it's been a while, I had writer's block again. Anyway, song by Panic! At the Disco.

**Chapter 7: Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off**

_// You know it will always just be me. //_

That morning, Nina reluctantly opened her eyes and crawled out of bed, cursing the phone's incessant ringing for interrupting her sleep. She hadn't been having the best of days. Her promiscuous sister had hooked up with her roommate, but for some reason she knew they weren't the cause of her foul mood.

It had been three days, and every day she'd woken up feeling like crap. It wasn't just that her sister had hooked up with her roommate -- although that certainly didn't help -- but she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd lost something. Lee, to be specific. And he hadn't shown the slightest hint of sadness when she said she was leaving him. The way he smiled was all she thought about ever since, because while he could easily drop her and move on, she, in truth, had been agonizing over this decision for quite a while. She knew that it was ultimately for the best that she disassociated from this philanderer before he broke her heart, and yet he had made her so happy in the short time they were together.

She didn't understand it at all. She thought she'd put up a convincing enough façade as a frigid bitch, heartless towards him at every turn, and yet he was incredibly kind to her.

The phone continued to ring. Her hand was shaking as she reached to pick it up. What if it was Lee? What would she say?

"Hello?" she answered. "Oh...hi, Hwoarang."

* * *

The sunlight was an unwelcome contrast to Nina's mood as she stepped out to poolside to face her opponent. He opened his mouth to speak, but she charged at him, only to have him swiftly dodge her attack.

"Nina, please," he sighed. "No hard feelings."

At that moment her boot connected with his midsection, forcing him to fall backwards with a grunt. "Yeah. Whatever."

He swung his legs around and caused her to trip. Their melee continued on the floor with a vicious exchange of blows. Raven struggled to get away from her. He felt his forehead, and pulled his hand away to find a viscous red substance on it.

Then, he felt a hard slap right across his face. _Fine,_ he thought. She had a right to be angry, indeed, but unlike her, Raven did not allow his emotions to control him in the battle arena. A swift, well-timed kick right across Nina's jaw earned Raven the victory.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, bending down beside her body.

She blinked up at the sunlight, defeated. His hand was outstretched, but she merely glared at it, causing him to slowly pull it back. She got up on her own and they walked in silence away from the poolside.

"Nina, there are things you have to understand..."

"Well, I'm listening." She crossed her arms and looked ahead as they continued walking.

"I'm in love with your sister."

"You don't know that."

"Come on," he spat. "Do you seriously think I'm _that_ naïve? I may not always show it, but I know what love is."

A small tear formed at the corner of her eye. She turned her head the other way before Raven could see it and defiantly rubbed it away. Nina was definitely not going to let anyone see her cry.

"You okay, Nina?"

"Yeah, just having a bad day," she choked. "Look, Anna's a hot girl, I'll give her that. But she has the tendency to love 'em and leave 'em. I don't want to see that happen to you. You're my best friend."

He placed an arm around her and they continued on walking. "Don't worry about me. Your sister is incredibly sweet," he told her, "and if she ever hurts me, I'll be fine. I recover quickly -- you of all people should know that."

"Okay, okay," she replied. "One thing, though?"

"Hmm?"

"If things go belly-up, I get the right to say 'I told you so.'"

* * *

Of course, just because she gave them her blessing didn't mean she was happy. The sunlight was a little intrusive that morning, in her opinion. The birds were too chirpy, the coffee smelled too perfect. She was sitting at the table across from the new couple, giggling and making disgusting googly eyes at each other. It wasn't that Nina was just being grumpy that morning (although it did look that way), but seeing the happy twosome just being so...happy...made her feel an odd sort of emptiness inside. Maybe she was just having an off day. Who knows?

Why would she feel empty, anyway? Hwoarang was everything she needed: sweet, protective, maybe a little bit predictable, but a safe choice. He surely wouldn't break her heart, as opposed to Lee, who was handsome, charming and witty, but also insatiable. She had made the right decision in picking Hwoarang over Lee.

But why did she keep comparing her boyfriend to her ex? _Ex-fuck buddy,_ she silently corrects herself.

Does she love Hwoarang? She wants to, with all her heart, but why wasn't she feeling all that much for him?

"Aw, Nina," Anna giggles, yanking her sister out of her stupor. "Raven's just full of surprises."

_Surprises,_ Nina thinks. _Maybe Hwoarang and I could use a little...spontaneity._ She decided to drop by his dojo a little early for a nice -- well, naughty -- surprise. And doughnuts. This would definitely put a little spark back into their three-week relationship. Nina gets up and kisses her sister on the cheek. "Thanks, Anna!" she says, and hurries out the doorway, taking her car keys with her.

A gruff, balding man in full tae kwon do uniform is sitting nearest the dojo entrance as she goes in. "Sir, have you seen Hwoarang?"

"He's in the sauna room with a student," he replies, pointing across to a door. She heads there, but hears him ask, "Who are you?"

"His girlfriend," she calls out behind her.

The old man's eyes widen. "Girlfriend? Oh shit, wai--" He runs to catch up to her but it's too late; she's already opened the door.

"HWOARANG?"


	8. A Good Idea at the Time

_A/N: _This chapter's song is by OK Go. This is the penultimate (i.e. second to the last) chapter, so I hope you like it! I'm sad that it's close to ending, but at least we'll get some much needed closure. (And a happy ending, hopefully.)

* * *

**Chapter 8: A Good Idea at the Time**

_// I appreciate your courtesy, your well-learned politesse, but you got yourself into your own mess. // _

Nina's face was frozen in a scowl. She was at the breakfast table, wrapped in a thick blue blanket, with a steaming mug of coffee right under her nose. She hadn't touched it. Nina didn't cry over what she'd seen at the dojo (she hadn't shed a tear since the death of her father -- that episode woth Raven didn't count), but she was not amused. Not at all. To help her deal, she played Pearl Jam songs at full blast. This had been going on all morning.

Her sister, who in contrast to Nina was dressed for a day out with her white turtleneck, denim skirt, and kitten heels, eyed her with concern. "I can whip up some flapjacks. You want?" Anna offers. It was her weird way of coping with a loss (if you could call it that) to pretend nothing had happened. But Nina could not shake her anger. She merely glared at her sister. "Okay, no pancakes then."

_Ring, ring._

They both turned around and looked at the phone. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who was on the other end. He'd been calling since last night. Nina went back to staring at her coffee with the same frown on her face.

_Ring, ring._

Her sister took this nonverbal cue and moved to pick up the phone. "I'll take a message." She picked it up. "Hello? She just left to pick up some bagels, can I take a message?" She started scribbling on the pad beside the phone. Nina can see her roll her eyes. "Buh-bye."

"Will I read it to you?" Anna asks. Her sister gives a shrug, followed by what looks like a half-nod. Anna holds up the pad and starts reading. "_Nina, I'm sorry. It's just that...I have needs,"_ (Anna giggles at this) "_and I couldn't help myself. I mean, you and I hadn't...you know. I hope this doesn't mean it's the end of us because I love you more than anything else in the world. I may have fucked that guy, but with you, I want to make love. I'm NOT gay, Nina, I swear. Please give me a second chance. Call me._"

Now she's all-out laughing. "Honey, that boy is full of shit!"

"Men are pigs," Nina scoffed. These are the first words she's spoken for the day. "All men are pigs."

"You just made an error in judgment," she replied helpfully. "It happens."

"I took a chance, Anna. I thought that Hwoarang was the nice, safe kind of guy I could share a future with. As it turns out, I was just a beard to him." Nina tries to clear the nasty image of Hwoarang in the heat of the moment with some dark-haired guy. "I lost at the first try."

"At least now he's out in the open."

"I heard that he's never going back to his dojo since his friends now know he's a fudgepacker."

"Cum-chugger."

"Friend of Dorothy." She laughed a little.

"But what about that old guy who you told me you saw near the entrance? Did he know?"

She shook her head. "Hwoarang told him that a girl was waiting for him in there."

Raven emerges from the bedroom, working out the casual-but-sexy look in a maroon sweater and fitted denims. He hands Anna a jacket. "Ready to go?"

"See you," she said to Nina. "We ought to get you an iPod, I'm sick of this grunge shit."

Raven kissed her on the forehead. "Take care of yourself, Nina. There are other fish in the sea," he clichéd.

"Thanks, you guys."

Once the door closed behind them, Nina had only Pearl Jam and her thoughts with her. What exactly was it about Hwoarang cheating on her with a guy that bothered her THIS much? She had already established long before that her feelings for him weren't as deep as she wanted them to be (and in light of what had happened, thank God they weren't). Perhaps she really was just peeved that she'd made an error in judgment. Or that between the renowned playboy and the sweet boy-next-door type, it was the latter who cheated. Or that karma had just bitchslapped her -- she used a guy for sex, and she in turn had been used to cover up some guy's true sexual orientation.

Or, she was pissed because she left Lee, who she couldn't help but be fond of despite his nature, for this...phoney. Lee was more important to her than she cared to admit.

The phone started ringing again. She ignored it.

Now how was she going to deal? Surely she couldn't skulk around the apartment all day. She pondered this as she began sipping her now-lukewarm coffee. A little thought started flitting back and forth in her head, all, _What I really need is a good lay._ Which brought her mind back to Lee, which in turn made her force the thought back into oblivion. Because when she thought about Lee, she thought about the nights of passion, entangled limbs, his face in the moonlight, the way he gazed at her lovingly as she drifted off to sleep, how he would kiss and caress her all over. It made her miss him, which was the last thing she wanted.

She could just settle with the old "curling up by the fire with hot chocolate and a good book" scenario. Anything to take her mind off of things. There was one problem, however: there were no good books in the house (ones that she hadn't read, anyway). A trip to the village bookstore was in order.

* * *

"You think she'll be alright, Raven?" Anna asked as they coasted along in his Ford. 

"Nina's a tough gal," he replied, not taking his eyes off the road.

She sighed. "She shouldn't have left Lee in the first place. I liked the guy."

"I didn't. But I disliked Hwoarang much, much more. I don't think either of them were right for Nina."

"Still, didn't you notice that Nina was happier with Lee? With Hwoarang, her smiles just seemed...forced."

"Well, yeah." He kept on driving.

* * *

He kept calling, but no one answered. _She's probably out on a date with Mr. Perfect Boyfriend,_ Lee thought resentfully, putting down the headset with the biggest frown on his face. 

It took him _this_ long to realize that he had been in love with her all along, and now she was looking for love with someone else. He tried going out and partying, but it just wasn't the same anymore. None of these girls were attractive to him anymore.

Apparently, karma had bitchslapped him, too. After breaking numerous girls' hearts, he in turn was left feeling empty. As much as he hated to admit it, Nina had gotten the best of him.

She broke his heart. And who was to say that he didn't deserve it?

He shrugged on a brown turtleneck and left the mansion. Perhaps he just needed some alone time. He _would_ forget about her.

Eventually.


	9. You're the One I Want

_A/N:_ This final song is by Jets to Brazil. Don't write me off as an emo kid just because I used Panic! and then Jets to Brazil in the same story, I'm eclectic! It's actually the only Jets to Brazil song I know, but if you know any other great songs by this band, don't hesitate to tell me!

So...the last chapter. It's been fun writing for you guys, although I nearly lost out to mental block on more than one occasion. (Next time, I'll finish the story BEFORE I publish it. LOL.) I hope you like it!

* * *

**Chapter 9: You're the One I Want**

_// The prophecies were realized when we gave them proper time. All truths come to light after lies have had their right. You've grown more beautiful since you took off. What can I do? I'm in love with you and it won't stop. You're the one I want. //_

_I hate this cheesy emo shit,_ Nina thought as she browsed the bookshelves, being assaulted by some cornball single. She silently wished that Anna really did get her an iPod.

She walked past the romance novels ("Gross!"), the automotive books ("Blah, blah, blah..."), the self-help books ("As if!"), and stopped at the Biographies section. Perhaps a Led Zeppelin biography would do. She picked it off of the shelf and backed away, accidentally bumping backwards into someone in the process. His muscular arms held her steady as she tried to maintain her balance. For a split-second she remembered how good it felt being held in Lee's arms.

_Snap out of it!_ she thought. She turned around to apologize profusely to the man she had bumped into, and in reaction, her eyes widened in shock. "Lee?"

He had a similar expression. "Nina?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, putting the book back in the shelf.

"Just looking around." Which was part of the truth -- he was actually on his way to the Self-Help section to look for a book on moving on after being jilted. Pathetic, yes, but he was running out of options. He'd been feeling depressed for three weeks now. And here she was, standing in front of him, the catalyst. The woman who'd single-handedly ruined his life.

And yet he couldn't bring himself to hate her.

"So," he said, "are you mad at me or something?"

"What do you mean?" She walked with him to the exit, totally forgetting about the book she was supposed to buy.

Lee crossed his arms. "You haven't been answering my phone calls."

"Oh, I -- I was avoiding someone. I actually missed talking to you." The gray sky was reflected in her eyes. Nina looked vulnerable. It was a side of her he hadn't seen before.

"But you didn't even answer your cellphone."

"When did you call? My battery went dead a few hours ago."

"Oh." He smiled and reached forward to tuck back a strand of her hair which was blowing in the wind. "Well, I missed you too."

"Look," she laughed, pointing to a bar five blocks away. "That's where we met."

"Would you go with me?"

She smiled, nodded and took his hand, and they walked down the street and into the bar. It wasn't as crowded as when they first met, but the familiar scent of cigarettes and marijuana was present, just like old times. Every girl in the area looked his way and grinned saucily, but frowned upon seeing that he already had a girl with him. "So," Lee asked after the bartender took their orders, "what's going on with you and Mr. Boyfriend?"

Nina scoffed. "It's Hwoarang, and we are so over. I found out that he was..."

"An asshole?"

"Gay. But that, too."

"How'd you find out?"

"He was ass-ramming some guy in the sauna room."

It was tough for him to hold back his laughter. "I take it he's the one you're avoiding on the phone?"

"He won't stop calling me," she lamented. "Wait, why did you want to call me?"

"Just to catch up on old times, nothing major," he lied. He had a confession of love all ready in his head, but it was ruined by Nina not answering her phone.

"Oh. Got a girl in your life then?" Her smile was forced.

"Not really _in_ my life, but there's someone I can't stop thinking about."

"Don't tell me _you're_ gay, too! No, no, no, oh no..."

"Nope," he laughed. "Let me finish! So this girl..." His voice quiets down as he talks.

"What about her?"

"I'm so in love with her, but when it hit me, it was too late. She had left me for someone else."

"You never told your girlfriend that you were in love with her? That's kind of stupid."

"She wasn't my girlfriend, Nina. She was just someone I had casual sex with on a regular basis." Nina's eyes widened at hearing this, but he continued. "I couldn't tell her how I felt because I was scared she would leave me. As it turns out, she would leave me anyway. She thought that I was incapable of falling in love, and frankly, I thought I was too...until I realized that what I felt for her? That was love."

"And what happened to the guy she left you for?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

Lee laughed. "He turned out to be gay. And now I'm sitting with this girl and telling her how I feel, and if she doesn't feel the same way about me, I don't mind. Thing is, I just don't know how to get over her."

"She doesn't want you to," Nina replied, holding his hand. "Ever. God, Lee, I wish you'd told me sooner. You know why I really left you?"

"No. Why did you?"

"I was scared you'd find someone else. I just beat you to the punch, honey."

"Nina, I could never find another woman who would mean as much to me as you. I haven't been to this place in ages. It's just not the same without you. You've totally changed the kind of person I am. I love you."

A timid smile spread across her face. "You really mean it? In a hold my hand as we watch chick flicks, cuddle after lovemaking, remember our anniversary, wake up next to you, roses and chocolates kind of way? We'd go out on _real_ dates? We'd start a family? You'd do that for me?"

"Well, it's a little weird, but we can do anything you want. I never really expected you to be the type who likes chick flicks or cuddling, though."

"Nah, I was just testing you. But I do want to try being corny sometimes. It looks kind of fun in some weird way. Oh, and before I forget: I love you too."

"So we're official?"

"We're official. It'd be a perfect moment for me to kiss you right here and now, and I really want to, but all these girls leering at you would kill me," she mused, although she was smiling.

"You know what? Screw them," he replied, and kissed her, with all the jealous girls watching them.

Just then, Anna and Raven walked into the bar. Anna spotted the twosome and nudged Raven in the ribs. "Hey, look."

"Huh? ...Oh."

She flashed a triumphant grin. "I told you so."

**FIN.**


End file.
